1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer, optionally in the presence of a monoethylenically unsaturated comonomer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of prior art references are directed to forming stabilized vinyl chloride polymer compositions. In a number of prior art patents (for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,585,506; 2,669,549; and 2,687,405) stabilizing additives, such as those containing epoxy groups, are merely added to the polymer after the polymerization procedure has terminated. Other investigators have tried to achieve the desired stabilization by conducting the polymerization in the presence of a stabilizing additive. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,066 the polymerization was conducted in the presence of a lubricant, a stabilizer (for example, a salt of an organic acid), a pigment and a polymeric modifier. Finally, in British Pat. No. 1,460,221, the polymerization was conducted in the presence of an alkaline earth salt of a carboxylic acid having from 2 to 25 carbon atoms in its molecule followed by the essential step of blending the resultant polymer with a zinc salt of a similar carboxylic acid.
Processes for the polymerization of vinyl chloride with a reduction in the amount of polymer scale formation during the polymerization reaction are known. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,707 to S. Argura et al. the presence of oxalic acid or one of its salts is proposed. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,946 to S. Koyanagi et al. a polar organic compound, dye or pigment is proposed as a "clean reactor" additive. Significantly, at Col. 3, lines 65-67 of the Koyanagi et al. patent it is taught that carboxylic acids having from one to five carbon atoms are not useful in reducing polymer scale formation.